Arlene Phillips

Dame Arlene Phillips (born 22 May 1943) is an English choreographer, talent scout, television judge and presenter, theatre director, and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment.

For many years, she was most noted as the choreographer of numerous West End and Broadway musicals, films, and television shows, but she later achieved mainstream fame as a judge on television talent shows including ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and ''So You Think You Can Dance''.

Early life

Phillips was born on 22 May 1943 in Prestwich, Lancashire. She has a brother, Ian and a sister, Karen. She attended Broughton Preparatory School, Cheetham Hill, Manchester; Beaver Road Primary School, Didsbury; and Manchester Central High School for Girls after passing the eleven plus exam. When Phillips was 15, her mother, who had been suffering from leukaemia, died aged 43 just before Phillips was due to take her exams.

Phillips originally wanted to be a ballet dancer and began dance classes at the age of three, studying ballet and tap dance at the Muriel Tweedy School in Manchester after leaving school at 16. Her mother had always expressed a desire to dance, which inspired Phillips into pursuing dance professionally.

Professional career

Phillips is internationally renowned as a choreographer and director of West End and Broadway musicals, but has many other professional credits. In her mid-teens, Phillips moved to London. where she developed her own style of jazz dance, strongly influenced by American Modern Jazz dance popular in London at that time. She went on to teach her style of jazz dance at The Dance Centre, later named Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Garden, and at the Italia Conti Stage School, so establishing herself as a successful teacher and choreographer.

Phillips was assistant choreographer on the 1982 film ''Annie'' and the promotional video for the Duran Duran song '' The Wild Boys,'' named Best British Video at the 1985 BRIT Awards. In the summer of 1996, she was stage director on the opening run of Michael Flatley's Irish dance show, '' Lord of the Dance'' at Dublin's Point Theatre.

Internationally, Phillips is most noted as a jazz and musical theatre choreographer, having worked on some of the biggest-selling musicals in West End and Broadway theatre, and a number of successful films. She is an Olivier Award nominee.

Phillips choreographed the 2002 Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies alongside fellow Mancunian, David Zolkwer.

From 2004 to 2008, she was a judge on the BBC One show ''Strictly Come Dancing'', and commented on the acts in '' Eurovision: Your Country Needs You'' for the BBC in 2009. In 2008, she created, produced, and choreographed the ITV television serial ''Britannia High''.

Following Phillips's appearance on ''Your Country Needs You'', she choreographed the performance of the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. She went on to choreograph Engelbert Humperdinck's performance of the UK entry in the 2012 contest in Baku.

In March 2013, Arlene appeared on ''Let's Dance For Comic Relief'' in the Dance Judge Panel with Greg James and Lee Mack.

Hot Gossip

In Britain, Phillips first became a household name as the director and choreographer of Hot Gossip, a British dance troupe which she formed in 1974, using students she was teaching at the time. Hot Gossip spent two years performing in a London night club where Phillips and her manager developed the group's dance act.

''Strictly Come Dancing''

Phillips was a member of the inaugural judging panel between 2004 to 2009 for the BBC
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